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.(No Mo dell) 3 Sheets-Sheet l J. OLARET & 0; VUILLEUMIER. AUTOMATIC CURRENT DISTRIBUTER FDR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

No. 604,968. Patented May 31,1898.

-WITNE5SE6- W YEN fiw w w?j BY wmmwMwMw THE! R HTTORNEYS.

m: nunms PETERS 00.. murmur; WASHINGTON, n. 1:"

3 Sheets8heet 2.

(No Model.)

J. OLARET;&: 0. VUILLEUMIE AUTOMATIC CURRENT DISTRIBUTBR FOR ELECTRIC RAIL WAYS.

N0. 604,968 Patented Mdy 3-1, 1898.

INVENTORS HIS ATTORNEYS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. R.

(No Model.)

J. GLAR ET 8v 0. VUILLEUMIE AUTOMAT 10 GURR'ENT DISTRIBUTER FOR ELEGTRIG RAILWAYS..

Patented May. 31 1-898.

)NVENTORS THE/R ATTORNEYS TERS 0 whumumonwasmnmun. n. c.

5 UNITED STATES PATENT FFIGE.

J N ot nnr AND OLIVIER. VUILLEUMIER, on PARIS, FRANCE.

AUT'OMAT'IC CURRENT-DISTR-IB U T'ER FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 604,968, dated May 31, 1898.

. Application filed May 4,1897. Serial No. 635,057. (No model.) Patented in France June 8,1895,No. 248,015, and November l8,189 5,N0.251,782; in Germany November 27, 189.5, No. 93,656; in Switzerland December 2, 1895, No. 11,712, and

in Spain February 4, 1896, ITO-18,629.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JEAN CLARET, a citizen of the Republic of France,and OLIVIER VUIL- .LEUMIER, a citizen of the Republic of Switzerland, residing in Paris, France, have invented certain new and usefulImprove-ments in Au tomatic Current Distributors for Electric Railways, (for which we obtained French Patents June8, l89 5, N0. 248,015, and November 18, 1895, No. 251,782; German Patent November 27, 1895, No. 93,656; Spanish Patent No.'18,629, February 4, 1896,and Swiss Patent No. 11,712, dated December 2, 1895,) of which the following is a specification. I

Our present invention consists of certain improvements in the construction of auto-' matic distributers for electric railways of the character described in the Letters Patent granted to us August 6, 1895, No. 544,209, and

August 17, 1897, No. 588,396.

In the accompanying-drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section on the line 1 1, Fig. 2; and

Fig. 2 is a plan view of our distributer. Fig.

3 is a sectional plan on the line 3 3, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan on the line 4 4, Fig. 1.

Figs. 5 to 9, inclusive, arediagrams explanatory of the operation of the distributer and the successive positions assumed by the movingparts in the principal phases of, that operation; and Figs. 10, 11, and 12 are diagrams illustrative of a modification,

Our automatic distributer, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4,includes a series of switches a a &c., arranged in acircle upon a ring A, f0rn1 ing part of. theframe A', and connected by wires to the corresponding contact-pieces of the line, switch-arms 'm, n, and 01/, mounted upon a cross-frame 13, attached to the vertical shaft 0 and electrically connected, respectively, to the binding posts D, e, and e through the medium of brushes and contactrings, such as B, c, and c, a'motor operated in a specialway, and anoperating-wheel con necting the said motor to the vertical shaft 0 for the purpose of imparting intermittent moti-on to the later, and also consequentlyto the switch-arms, in the direction of motion of the vehicle fed by the current-distributor. All these devices, however -viz., the switches,

switch-arms, electric motor, and operatingwheel-are constructed as simply as possible, while insuring the necessary certainty of action.

The switches a to a consist of blocks of carbon fitted by means of dovetail joints in supports 5, which are insulated from the ring A and tightened by means of a Wedge or key retained in position by a screw.

Theswitch-arms m, n, and n are formed of a number of flexible metal plates firmly attached to the cross-frame B, which is keyed onto the vertical shaft 0 and moves with it.

Thespaci-ng of the axes of these contact-arms is less than'the spacing of the axes of those parts of the switches a, a &c., against which they rub or brush. The width of each small arm n'n, moreover, is less than the space between any two switches a a and in this case is about equal to one-half of the arc of a switch a a2, 850;, while the width of the main switch-arm m is greater than the space between any two of the switches a a (lac. The said main switch-arm m is always connected to the main conductor X, Figs. 5 and 6, controlling the line throughout its length, whereas the smaller arms are connected thus: The arm n, through the ring a and post e, com municates with the contacts 1 and2' of a commutator, of which, more shall be .said presently, (in describing the ,motor,) and the arm n is connected-through the ring 0 and the post e to the contacts 1 and 2 of the same commutator.

The difference in the spacing of the switcharm and the switches, and more especially the connection ofthe smaller arms with the different contacts of the commutator aforesaid,

electromagnets 4 4 and 4. 4, the respective 5 line with the shaft 0, above referred to. The insulated brushes or fingers G and 6 of the arm or arms 5 5 are adapted to act upon contacts 1 2 and 1 2, which in their turn are electrically connected to the smaller switcharms at a, as before stated, Fig. 5. The windings of the electromagnets 4 4: and s 4 start from the insulated lingers G and 6 of the commutator-arm 5, respectively, and lead either down to the earth or to a return-wire, Fig. 5. Onto thearm 5 of the commutator there are secured pins 7 and 7, Figs. 1, 3, and l, acting upon the pawls S S of the operating-wheel F in a direction consistent with the direction of movement of the vehicle 011 the line. It will also be understood that either one or the other of the electromagnets 4E and i will come into operation in a peculiar manner, accord ing as the vehicle travels in one or the other direction.

The driving-wheel F has as many teeth, Fig. 8, as there are keys or switches a (t the. This wheel is secured to the vertical shaft 0, and either of the two operatingpawls S and 8' is adapted to engage withit, the said pawls being mounted, respectively, upon lovers 9 and 9, loose upon a fixed sleeve situated where the shafts G and 0 meet. The said operating-pawls are loose upon their respective levers 9 9 and are subjected to the action of springs 7' 2", which not only keep them normally out of engagement with the wheel F, but which, moreover, serve to secure the commutator-arm 5 in the position of rest, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The pawls S and S are, moreover, provided each with a tailpiece S", which under the action of the springs mentioned above presses upon the pin 7 7 of the commutator-arm. At a point Q there is provided a stop-pieee which the pawls, when set in operation, abut against and which is adapted to limit the stroke by an angular distance corresponding to the angular space between the switches a a the. provided with a spring-plate L, Figs. 1 and 2, fixed upon the shaft 0 above the crosspiece which carries the above mentioned posts D, e and e, and which is adapted to make contact between posts c and 6 or the posts 6 and 0, also carried by the said crosspiece. The post 0 is electrically connected to the wire a", and consequently to the switches a to a of the distributor. The post 6 is connected by a special wire to the switch a of the distributer, situated on the line of the railway in advance of that under consideration, and post a is connected by a special wire to the switch a, of the distributor, situated on the railway system to the rear, the one under consideration. This arrangement enables the different distribnters to be thrown out of circuit at the proper time and that whatever may be the direction of movement of the vehicle upon the line, as fully described in our above-mentioned patent, No. 588,396.

In order to understand the operation of the distributer described, the diagrams Figs. 5 to The distributer is also 9 should be referred to. Let it be supposed that a vehicle V traveling upon the line is moving in the direction of the arrow in, Fig. 5, and that at the time of observation it happens to cover the contact of the line, the switch-arms m, 'n, and a being situated, re spectivcly, upon the switches a, a, and c of the current-distributer, and, further, that the arm 5 of the commutator has its lingers 6 and (3 upon the contacts 1 and 1 connected, respectively, to the small arms a and a and that the motor is at rest, its armature being situated between the cores of the coils 4 l and at 4: and the operating-pawls 8 and 8 being out of engagement with the wheel F upon the shaft 0. The vehicle V is being supplied with current from the main conductor X through the main switch-arm m, the switches a, and the contact-piece y of the line, connected with the said switch a as illustrated in Fig. 5. The vehicle advances in the direction of the arrow to and presently forms a bridge between the two consecutive contacts y and y of the line, Fig. (5. The effects consequent upon this formation of a bridge un' til the vehicle leaves the contact 7 so as only to cover the contact are as follows: First of all part of the current passes through the contact y and switch a into the switcharm 72. and thence to the contact-piece 1, and consequently to the finger (J of the commutator, which sends it on to the coils of the electromagnet attwhieh in consequence attracts the armature 5. The arm of the commutator 5 on being displaced an equal distance acts through its pin '7 upon the tailpiece 8 of the pawl S, which isthereby caused to engage with the teeth of the wheel F and move such wheel in the direction of the arrow 20, Fig. 6. The wheel F carries along with it the three switch-arms 1n, n, and n. The next result of the formation of the bridge is that which is observable at the time when the switch-arms m, a, and n occupy the position indicated in Fig. (i in relation to the switches2'. 6., at that particular moment when the arm m comes into contact with the switch a 'flwhile the arm n has not yet left that switch, and when the arm n has taken up its position between the switches a and a From that moment the switch-arm a will begin to engage with the switch a ,which the arm m has not then had time to leave and while the arm a is still in contact with the switch a. Such being the position of the parts, (see Fig. 7,) the arm a will take up current from the switch 0. and send it on to the contacts 1 and 2. This transmission of current to the cont-act 1 can have no influence, since the finger (5 of the commutator is beyond such contact,while the fact that current is being supplied to contact 2 enables the action of the finger 6 of the commutator 5 to be prolonged and, upon the whole, to attract the same constantly in the same direction with a view to keeping in motion the driving-wheel F until the switch-arms m, n, and a, as they pass through the interspectively, lie on the switches a a.

, posite .to that described above.

mediate position shown in Fig. 8, arrive at the position indicated in Fig. 9.

It will be observed by inspecting Fig. 8 that the arm n may arrive at the switch a and come in contact therewith with impunity, since by that time the commutator-finger 6 has left the cont-act 1, so that there is no risk involved in sending current through the me-. dium of n on to the contact-piece 11 which has not been reached by the vehicle as yet. The third result corresponds to this last-m entioned position, wherein the switch-arm m is upon the switch a and the arms n 02, re-

In this position the derived current always arrives at the contact 2 through the arm n, switch a, and contact-piece 11 and the drivingwheel F is kept immovable by the pawl 8 bearingupon the piece Q and remaining in contact therewith, as shown in Fig. 9. Then the vehicle V has ceased to form a bridge between the contact-pieces L1 and y and rests solely on the contact y. When this stage has been entered on, there is no longer any derived current, and asthe armature 5- resumes its initial position under the action of the spring on the pawl 8 this pawl first becomes disengaged from the Wheel F and then returns to its first position, where it remains in readiness for a fresh operation.

It will be observed that the pawl 8 is so constructed that by one single movement it gets into gear with the wheel and causes it to advance or moves out of gear wit-h it and returns to its normal position, and it will also be understood that if the vehicle were to travel in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow the same effects would be produced, only inversely, so that the wheel F would be caused to turn in a direction op- When. the vehicle travels backward, the electromagnet 4 4 comes into operation, the fingers 6 of the commutator taking up the derived currents from the contacts 1 and 2 supplied by the switch-arms n n in a manner identical to what has been above set forth.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there is a close connection between the switcharms m, n, and n (the angular space between which is different from that existing between the switches c (1. 850.) and the commutator formed by the arm carrying the fingers 6 and 6, and by the contacts 1 2 and l and 2, and that the result of this close connection, taken in conjunctionwiththe bridging of the contacts of the way by the vehicle, is that a derived current is sent into the motor adapted to set the driving-wheel in motion, and,

consequently to operate the switch-arms so as to cause them to pass from one switch to existing contacts 1 2 and l 2.

capable of producing the same effect; and it will be further understood that we do not limit ourselves in any way as regards the shapes and dimensions of the constituent parts of the improved current-distributer, which may be constructed'of any suitable metals and of any convenient size, the number of switches or keys a a 850., being also optional.

A modification of this distributer is shown in Figs. 10, 11, and 12, in which the armature 5 and the arm 5 of the commutator are shown as bisected or subdivided each into two independent parts, as indicated at 5 5 and 5' 5' in the diagram Fig. 10. Where thus separated, each of the parts 5 and 5" of the commutator comprises, in addition to the in- .sulated finger 6, another insulated finger s,

or, as marked in Fig. 10, sa and sh, and contact-pieces 12a and ob are superadded to the The electrical connections between these several parts, the electromagnets 4 4 and 4'4, and switch-arms m, n, and n are made as shown in Fig. 10. The operation of this mechanism is as follows: When the switch-arms occupy the position in which they are represented in Fig. 10, which position corresponds to that illustrated in Fig. 5, the apparatus is at rest and the fingers 6 and 6' are situated upon thecontacts 1 1, respectively, whereas the fingers 86b and $1) rest upon the contacts 22a and ob, respectively. The finger 6 is connected by a wire to the contact 0b, and the finger 6 is similarly-connected to the contact ha. The finger sa is connected to the coils of the electromagnet 4'4, and the finger 81) is connected to the coils of the electromagnet 4 4. In the position in'which the parts are shown in Fig. no derived current passes into the coils of the electromagnets, the contacts of the way not being bridged over by the vehicle; but when the bridge is formed. between the contact-pieces 1 and 3 (the vehicle advancing in the direction indicated by the arrow w,) then the derived current passes through the switch or key 61,14, the switch-arm 11, contact 1, the insulated finger 6 of the commutatorarm 5', the contact oh, the insulated finger SI) of the arm and the coils of the electromagnet 44, and thence to the earth. When this happens, the portion 5 of the armature is attracted by the electromagnet 4 and the portion 5 'of the commutator is displaced at an angle and takes up the position indicated in Fig. 11, being a counterpart of the diagram Fig. 7, and the arms m, n, and 'n also take up, in relation to the switches 00 and (1 the positions shown in the figure just mentioned. It will be seen by referring to Fig. 11 that the portion 5 of the armature'and the portion 5" of the commutator have remained in their places and that the finger sa of the part 5 of the commutator has moved away from the contact oa. The derived current always passes through the coils of the electromagnet 4, and although contact be made upon 1 by the finger 6 the current from 11' cannot pass through the coils of the eleetromagnet 4:, because the finger sa has, as stated, moved out of contact with re. Motion is always imparted to the part 5 of the armature by the electromagnet -t-, and the correspondingpart5 of the commutator continues to cause movement of the switch-arms on, 71, and 92 until they assume the positions shown in Fig. 12, being practically a reproduction of the diagram Fig. 9. At the moment the arm it rests upon the insulated switch a and the derived current ceases from passing through that arm the portion 5 of the armature and the portion 5' of the commutator then resume their original positions under the action of springs, as has been explained above. It will thus be seen that the operation is the same as before, the only difference being that the parts 5 and 5" of the armature and the parts and 5 of the commutator are independent and only come into operation when the vehicle is to move in some predetermined direction, or, in other words, the said parts 5 and 5 would remain inoperative if the vehicle should move in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow to, and the parts 5 and 5" would in that case begin to act.

lVe claim as our invention- 1. A distributor for an electric railway having a series of switches to be connected to the spaced contacts of the railway contact-arms, such as on, n and n, to contact with said switches, the spacing of the axes of these contact-arms being less than the spacing of the axes of said switches, and an electric motor to move said arms, the motor-armature having a commutator provided with fingers electrically connected with the coils of the electromagnets of the motor, and contacts forthe said fingers electrically connected with the arms a 12, all substantially as described.

2. A distributcr foran electric railway, having a series of switches to be connected to the spaced contacts of the railway, contact-arms, such as m, n and n, to contact with said switches, the spacing of the axes of these contact-arms being less than the spacing of the axes of said switches and an electric motor whose armature has a commutator provided with fingers electrically connected with the coils of the electromagnets of the motor in combination with contacts for said fingers electrically connected with the arms 11 and n, a toothed driving-wheel to move the contactarms and pawls to act on the wheel and acted on by the commutator from the motor, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JEAN CLARE'J. ()LIVIER VUILLEUMIER.

\Vitnesses:

LEON FRANCKEN, EDWARD I". MAcLuAN. 

